Oil pan for engine



July 16, 1957 L. J. BECKER on. PAN FOR ENGINE 3 Sheets-Shoat 1 Filed May 20, 1955 INVENTOR. 3 K?? y 6, 1957 L. J. BECKER I 2,799,139

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United States Patent OIL PAN FOR ENGINE Lester J. Becker, Alexandria, Va.

Application May 20, 1955, Serial No. 509,865 4 Claims. (Cl. 60-52) The invention relates to an oil pan unit containing a hydraulic mechanism and which is adapted to be secured to the bottom of an engine. The hydraulic mechanism mounted in the oil pan of the invention includes a pump, such as a gear pump, a control valve, and passage for directing oil under pressure to operate a hydraulic motor or piston and, preferably, to also supply oil to the engine for lubrication. The hydraulic motor operated by the oil from the gear pump may serve to manipulate devices which are mounted on the same vehicle with the engine. For example, the hydraulic motor may serve to lift and lower the plow of a tractor, the scraper on a bulldozer, or the fork on a fork-lift.

The oil pan unit of the invention contains the pump and control valve needed to operate the hydraulic motor and, preferably, to also lubricate the engine. The inventive oil pan unit is, therefore, a self-contained unit which can readily be attached, as by bolts, to the bottom of conventional engines. The oil pan unit of the invention is adapted to replace the present oil pans of conventional engines with no alteration of the engine mounting. The oil pump is driven, through gearing mounted on the oil pan, by the crank shaft of the engine.

The hydraulic mechanism of the invention provides passageways leading from the control valve to opposite ends of a hydraulic motor cylinder, and a passageway leading from the control valve and extending in a direction to spray lubricant, such as oil, upon the crank shaft of the engine. A movable plunger is provided in the control valve which is constructed to be moved to three different primary positions. In a first position the control valve directs oil under pressure through a first passageway to the hydraulic motor cylinder to move the piston therein in one direction, as to raise adevice such as thescraper of the bulldozer. As the piston is moved in this one direction, it forces oil out of one end of the cylinder. This oil is returned to the control valve via a second oil passageway and directed vout a third passageway to lubricate the engine.

In a second position ofv the control valve, oil is directed from the pump directly out the third oil passageway to lubricate the engine, while maintaining the first and second passageways leading to the hydraulic motor cylinder closed, thereby retaining the hydraulic piston fixed in one position in the cylinder. Hence, the scraper of the bulldozer is maintained at a fixed height while the control valve is maintained in a second position.

Ina third position of. the control valve, oil under pressure is directed from thecontrol valve through the second oil passageway to the hydraulic motor cylinder to move the pistonin the opposite direction, as to lower the scraper on a bulldozer. As the piston moves in this Opposite direction, it forces oil out of the other end of the hydraulic motor cylinder. This oil is returned via the first oil passageway to the control valve and directedout the third oil passageway tolubricate the engine. Of the oil thus returned, that whichis in excess of the amount needed 2,799,139 l atented July 16, 1957 2 to lubricate the engine crank, passes out a relief valve hole adjacent the third passageway and returns to the sump in the oil pan.

The invention thereby also provides a hydraulic system which directs a continuous flow of lubricating oil on the engine, there being no interruption of flow when the hydraulic motor piston is moved, since by the movement of the piston, oil is forced from one end of the cylinder and directed to lubricate the engine. There is also thereby provided the advantage of positively driving the hydraulic'motor piston in both directions, rather than relying on an external force, such as gravity, to move the piston in one direction. The hydraulic system of the invention, therefore, is a great improvement over the system of the prior art as shown, for example, in the U. S. Patent 2,651,179 to Blood, wherein the hydraulic motor piston is driven positively in only one direction and there is interruption of the flow of lubricating oil to the engine.

The invention also encompasses a novel and inventive control valve having a casing, passageways leading through the casing and opening into the bore thereof and a plunger movable in the bore having channels therein. The channels in the plunger are constructed to permit the control valve to selectively deliver oil under pressure to either side of the hydraulic motor piston and deliver oil directly to the engine for lubrication.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is an end elevational view of an oil pan according to the invention bolted to anengine;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the oil pan and engine illustrated in Fig. 1, diagrammatically showing the hydraulic'motor which is operated by the hydraulic system; Fig. 3 is an elevational view along section lines 33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view on section line 4-4 in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly in section, of the control valve in its first position to move the hydraulic motor piston;

Fig. 6 is a plan view, partly in section, of the control valve in its second position wherein it is delivering oil directly to the engine for lubrication, while maintaining the hydraulic motor piston in a fixed position in the cylinder;

Fig. 7 is a plan view, partly in section, of the control valve in its third position, wherein it is moving the hydraulic motor piston in a direction opposite to that shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is a plan view on section line $8 in Fig. 1.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the oil pan unit includes an oil pan 10 secured by bolts 11 to the bottom of an engine 12 which includes a crank shaft 13 having a gear 14 mounted thereon for rotation with crank shaft 13. Oil pan 10 has a recess or sump 15 therein adapted to function as an oil container, and a thickened side 16 and a pillar 17 rising from the oil pan .gear .28 isalso mounted on pump shaft 27 for rotation therewith and meshes with engine crank shaft gear 14. Gear2 5 rotates upon stub shaft 29 which is mounted in housing 18. An end plate 30 is secured, by bolts 31 and 32, to the housing 18 and has extending therefrom an integral hub 33. Bearing raceways 34 and ball bearings 35 surround hub 33 to provide a bearing for drive gear 28. Integral with drive gear 28 is an extension 36 having a hole 37 therethrough. A set screw 38, in hole 37, is tightly screwed against pump shaft 27 to cause drive gear 28 to rotate with pump shaft 27. A cover 38' enclosing drive gear 28 is secured by bolts to end plate 30 to prevent splashing of oil. The cover 38' is cut away to permit meshing of crankshaft gear 14 and pump drive gear 28 (Fig. 1).

From above gear pump 24 an oil inlet passageway 39 extends (as shown in Figs. 1 and 3) through housing 18 to a control valve generally designated 40. A gasket 41, between the housing 18 and the oil pan side 16, insures no leakage from inlet oil passageway 39 which is provided with a pressure relief valve, generally designated 42 and including an adjustable bolt 43 adapted to compress a spring 44 which presses a ball 45 to close relief hole 46 in housing 18. Exit hole 47, in housing 18, permits release of oil from housing 18 when the pressure becomes excessive. Lock nut 48 is used to retain bolt 43 in its adjusted position.

Control valve 48 includes a casing 48' which is formed integrally with side 16 of oil pan 10, a cylindrical bore 49 and a cylinder plunger generally designated 50. Oil inlet passageway 39 opens into bore 49. As seen in Fig. 2, first oil passageway 51 and second oil passageway 52 lead from first and second sections, respectively, of bore 49 to end portions of hydraulic motor cylinder 53 for delivering oil to move hydraulic motor piston 54 in either direction in cylinder 53. Hydraulic motor piston 54 is operatively connected, by rod 55, to raise and lower devices such as the plow of a tractor, the scraper of a bulldozer, or the fork on a fork-lift (not shown).

As shown in Fig. 3, a third passageway 56 leads upwardly from control valve bore 49. A pipe 57 leads from third passageway 56 into a hole 58 in a tower 59 which extends integrally upwardly from housing 18 (see Figs. 3 and 8). A nozzle hole 60 in tower 59 connects with pipe 57 and is positioned to direct lubricating oil in a stream onto crankshaft 13 (see Fig. 1) for lubrication.

Control valve plunger 50 has four cylindrical lands designated 61, 62, 63 and 64 which are of sufiicient diameter to form an oil-tight seal with control valve casing 48, and channels for the delivery of oil including three grooves designated 65, 66 and 67. A further channel is an axial hole 68 extending from central groove 66 through the plunger 56 and opening through the end of land 64 into a third section of bore 49 adjacent third passage 56.

A relief valve is provided in control valve casing 48 to prevent excessive oil pressure in pipe 57. This relief valve comprises a hole 69 extending upwardly through control valve casing 48 held releaseably closed by a plate spring 70 secured to control valve casing 48' by a bolt 71.

Control valve plunger 50 is reciprocated in control valve casing 48' by an operating rod 72 extending beyond oil pan 10 (as shown in Fig. 2) and having a stub bolt 73 at the end thereof which rides in a slot 74 formed in a control lever 75. Fulcrum 76 extends from oil pan 10 and has an axle 7 mounted at its end to serve as an axis for the rotation of control lever 75. Control lever 75 may be rotated either automatically or manually by a linkage (not shown) to move the control valve plunger 59 in control valve casing 48 to move the hydraulic motor piston 54 in either direction and to lubricate the crankshaft 13.

Seal bolt 78 is screwed into control valve bore 49 and has an axial hole 79 therethrough to accommodate the operating rod 72. As shown in Fig. 3, sealing ring 80, of suitable material, rests in a groove 81 formed in axial hole 79, thereby providing an oil-tight seal between the operating rod 72 and the seal bolt 78.

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As shown in Fig. 5, operating rod 72 has a portion 82 of diminished diameter thereby forming a step 83 in the operating rod '72. The control valve bore 49 has an enlarged portion 84, thereby providing an abutment at 85. Plates 86 and 87 are slidably mounted on diminished portion 82 of operating rod 72 and are of suflicient diameter to closely engage enlarged portion 84 of control valve bore 49. Biasing spring 88 surrounds diminished portion 82 and tends, by its compression, to separate plates 86 and 87. A relief hole 89 is provided in control valve casing 48 to permit release of oil or air which might block movement of plates 86 and 87 and hence prevent movement of control valve plunger 50 (Fig. 3).

The operation of the embodiment of my invention just described will now be explained. As shown in Fig. 1, gear 14 is rotated by crankshaft 13 and meshes with drive gear 28. The rotation of drive gear 28, through pump shaft 27, rotates pump gears 25 and 26 (see Fig. 4) of gear pump 24. Oil from sump 15 is thereby drawn through screen 21 and up intake passageway 23, through gear pump 24 and inlet passageway 39 (Fig. 3) to control valve bore 49. The control valve plunger 50 may be selectively positioned in the three primary positions, shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, to achieve three primary conditions of the hydraulic system.

In Fig. 5, the control valve plunger has ben moved, by operating rod '72, to the left so that inlet passageway 39 delivers oil under pressure through plunger groove 67 and first oil passageway 51 to the bottom portion of hydraulic motor cylinder 53 (see also Fig. 2), thereby moving hydraulic motor piston 54 upwardly to, for example, raise the scraper of a bulldozer. The upward movement of hydraulic motor piston 54 forces oil out of the upper portion of hydraulic motor cylinder 53, through second oil passageway 52, plunger groove 66, axial hole 68 (Fig. 5), third oil passageway 56, and pipe 57 to lubricating nozzle 60 to spray oil on crankshaft 13, thereby lubricating the engine. Surplus oil, in excess of that needed to lubricate the engine, passes through relief valve hole 69, lifts plate spring 70, and returns to oil sump 15. By this release of excess oil the pressure on gear pump 24 is relieved and wear of the pump reduced. The movement of operating rod 72 to the left to achieve the position shown in Fig. 5, causes plate 87, forced against step 83, to compress spring 88; plate 86 being forced against abutment 85. Hence, spring 88 will constantly tend to move the operating rod 72 to the right to the neutral position shown in Fig. 6.

In the neutral position, illustrated in Fig. 6, the control valve plunger 50 is positioned in the control valve bore 49 so that oil under pressure passes from inlet passageway 39, through plunger groove 66, axial hole 68, third oil passageway 56 and pipe 57 to nozzle 60 to spray oil on crankshaft 13, thereby lubricating the engine. In this position also surplus oil passes through relief valve hole 69, lifts plate spring and returns to oil sump 15. In this position, the first oil passageway 51 and second oil passageway 52 are held closed and there is no movement of oil through them. Thereby, the hydraulic motor piston 54 is held in a fixed position in hydraulic motor cylinder 53 (see also Fig. 2). That is, the hydraulically-operated device, such as the scraper of a bulldozer, is retained at a fixed height. A seen in Fig. 6, in the neutral position, the spring 88 is forcing plate 86 against abutment and plate 87 against seal bolt 78. Hence, there is no pressure being exerted by spring 88 on any portion of operating rod 72.

In order to lower the hydraulic motor piston 54, the control valve plunger 50 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 7. Herein, oil under pressure from inlet 39 is delivered, through plunger groove 65 and second oil passageway 52 to the upper portion of hydraulic motor piston 54 downwardly (see also Fig. 2). This downward movement of hydraulic motor piston 54 forces oil out of the lower portion of hydraulic motor cylinder 53, through first oil passageway 51, plunger groove 66, axial hole 68, third oil passageway 56 and pipe 57 to nozzle hole 60, to spray oil on crankshaft 13, thereby lubricating the engine. As in the opposite movement of the piston, previously described, surplus oil passes through relief valve hole 69, lifts plate spring 70 and returns to oil sump 15. As seen in Fig. 7, the spring 88 is exerting force against plate 86 which is pressing on land 61 of control valve plunger 50. Hence the spring 88 is constantly tending to move control valve plunger 50 to the left to achieve the neutral position shown in Fig. 6.

By the above-described movement of the control valve plunger 50, the hydraulic motor piston may be raised or lowered any amount and retained fixed at any height. By means of this phase of applicants invention, the lubrication of the engine is not interrupted at any time while supplying oil under pressure to the hydraulic motor. This is accomplished by using two oil passages which communicate with both ends of the hydraulic motor cylinder. Hence, when the piston is being driven in one direction, it is forcing oil out of one end of the cylinder to lubricate the engine. My invention contributes to the art a combination of oil passageways and control valve which accomplish this advantageous and unobvious result. This hydraulic system is a distinct advantage over systems wherein the flow of lubricating oil to the engine is interrupted when supplying oil to the hydraulic motor.

The above description of the illustrated embodiment of my invention makes clear the great advantage of another phase of my invention, that is, a detachable oil pan unit, adapted to be secured to the bottom of an engine, which has unitarily combined therewith a pump for creating oil pressure and a control valve, which may be integrally formed with the oil pan, to direct oil to an external hydraulically-operated device. This novel combination of my invention has great utility in that it can be readily secured to conventional engines and utilized to operate auxiliary hydraulic devices and, simultaneously lubricate the engine.

The above embodiment has been disclosed for illustration only, the scope of my invention being limited only by the scope of the subjoined claims which are directed to the various phases of my invention.

I claim:

1. An oil pan unit for attachment to the bottom of an engine including apparatus for supplying oil for the continuous lubrication of the engine and the operation of a hydraulic motor, said oil pan unit comprising an oil pan forming a sump for oil, a pump mounted on said oil pan, an intake passageway extending from said pump to a point adjacent the bottom of said oil pan, gearing mounted adjacent said pump and adapted to operatively connect the engine and the pump so that the engine may drive said pump, a control valve mounted on said oil pan and having a casing and-a bore therethrough, an

inlet oil passageway connecting said pump to said con-' trol valve, first and second oil passageways leading from I said control valve bore for delivering oil under pressure to the hydraulic motor, a third oil passageway leading from said control valve bore and terminating in an outlet which is in a position, when the oil pan unit is at- 6 tached to the bottom of an engine, to direct oil onto the engine for lubrication, a plunger movable in said control valve bore and having a plurality of channels therein,

said channels being so constructed that the plunger may be positioned in said bore to selectively (1) deliver oil under pressure from said inlet passageway to said first oil passageway to operate the hydraulic motor while delivering oil returning through said second passageway to said third passageway to lubricate the engine; and (2) to deliver oil under pressure from said inlet passageway to said second oil passageway to operate the hydraulic motor while delivering oil returning through said first passageway to said third passageway to lubricate the engine; and (3) to deliver oil under pressure from said inlet passageway directly to said third passageway to lubricate the engine while maintaining said first and second passageways closed.

2. An oil pan unit, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control valve plunger has at least three lands forming an oil-tight fit with said control valve bore, at least three grooves, and an axial hole extending from a central groove through said plunger and opening into a section of said bore adjacent said third passageway.

3. An oil pan unit, as set forth in claim 1, including a pump housing mounted on said oil pan, wherein said third passageway outlet is a lubricating nozzle hole formed in said housing, and said third passageway includes a pipe leading from said control valve bore to said lubricating nozzle hole.

4. An oil pan unit for attachment to the bottom of an engine including apparatus for supplying oil for the continuous lubrication of the engine and the operation of a hydraulic motor, said oil pan unit comprising an oil pan for forming a sump for oil, a pump housing mounted on the oil pan, a pump within the housing, an intake passageway extending from said pump to a point adjacent the bottom of said oil pan for delivering oil from the oil pan to the pump, a pump shaft journaled in said housing, a drive gear mounted on said pump shaft in a position to engage an engine crankshaft gear, when the oil pan unit is attached to the bottom on an engine, so that the engine may drive the pump, a control valve mounted on the oil pan and having a casing and a bore therethrough, an inlet oil passageway extending through said pump housing and connecting the pump to the control valve, first and second oil passageways leading from said control valve bore for delivering oil under pressure to the hydraulic motor, and a third oil passageway lead ing from said control valve bore and terminating in an outlet which is in a position, when the oil pan unit is attached to the bottom of an engine, to direct oil onto the engine for lubrication.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,242,807 Austin May 20, 1941 2,345,973 Harrington Apr. 4, 1944 2,482,249 Court Sept. 20, 1949 2,559,125 Lee July 3, 1951 2,651,179 Blood Sept. 8, 1953 

